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    <01/18/1963 – 15:00 | Eldora Tower Fl. 950, Eldora City, Sprawn Valley Capital>


    The twelve days of training were rough on everybody, but in only five days, all four of the contestants began to toughen up and show a psychological level of resilience in the challenges to come. Danton and Mainne pushed all of them to their limits as often as they could, and on the twelfth day, January 18, 1963 on a Friday, the preliminary tournament set up privately was nearly at its conclusion. Brock and Cleo were tested well, their skills excellent for the task. Mainne managed to bring out their best-fit fighting styles and train them on using the skills in battle.


    Interestingly, Brock appeared to be a worthy mage with all sorts of Leray spells, and only the spells he used consisting of fire elements appeared to be well refined. He likes to work out as much as possible, but he also likes to battle using spells involving fire and heat, almost a direct opposite of Mainne. His style isn''t too bad either.


    Cleo was even more of an interest however. His style of battle usually involved specializing only in spells that inflict and maximize a person''s pain. He debilitates his opponent by making them suffer slowly until their patience runs thin, and somehow, the man has a rather high tolerance to pain himself. It actually feels like a cruel tactic to use on other people, but the system is perfectly legal. Both of their minds are also in the right place at this point in time. All they want to do is serve their elite roles as best as they can.


    In the final match between Krysta and Aimesta, the winner would take the last open slot available for becoming an official Leray elite. Danton and Mainne were both watching them battle together for the past five minutes. Both women were almost equally skilled despite their differences in styles and approach. Krysta did surprisingly well in physical close combat, but then Aimesta had her outclassed on magic spells. The two of them went at it for a while now, both draining the HP on their energy scopes. They also argued back and forth during their battle often, which didn''t seem very usual.


    Krysta tried to wrap it up once more by firing three large frozen boulders towards Aimesta as if they were unguided elemental bolts, but Aimesta was also fast and light on her feet. She dodged the first two spheres, and invoked a powerful Fire Bolt to destroy the third one before it got too close to her face. Then they were standing thirty meters apart again at another stalemate.


    Aimesta was ready for anything, and her guard was always up. It''s a smart way to battle, but Krysta developed a smirk in her expression while carefully studying Aimesta''s position and stance. She put one foot forward, hoping to project her voice from a distance. "You fight good enough Aimesta, but you should really consider giving that slot to me instead." Her voice came out condescending at the same time.


    Aimesta kept her place and replied, "Why would I do that? You''re just afraid of losing!"


    "Oh, I wouldn''t say that. It''s just that elite members have to battle on national TV all the time. Sorry honey, but your figure is a bit uneven to pull any of that off, and that style you''re using is simply a disgrace to society. It''s best not to give such important roles to ugly little girls. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"


    Danton twitched, the insult catching even him off guard. What is Krysta doing?! Aimesta isn''t ugly or little, and the insult only works if it''s true. They''re wasting time!


    She''s calling me ugly? I have uneven curves? Aimesta couldn''t help but feel so tense right now. Her muscles contracted at her will, and her teeth were clenched just tightly enough for her not to lose her mind... But this bitch knows nothing about Leray battling. She has nothing to give to such a high honor. She''ll eat those words! "Dual Shuriken!" Aimesta quickly invoked her next spell, spawning two large circlets in her hands with special handles, the rest of the wheel sharp with destructive edges. She then jumped off her left foot, driving her body ever closer to Krysta for one final blow! How dare she call me ugly! I''ll show her!


    Krysta sensed it, the perfect moment to strike. She had been charging MP energy all this time in secret, and she began to unleash both of her powers, controlling two spells at once. It wasn''t an easy thing to do, but Danton proved it was possible with enough concentration. Now is the time! Krysta lifted up her slightly glowing hands - keeping them as fists, and controlling the flow of her own magical spells without the need to chant their names. In another instant, a wall - made purely out of ice ten feet tall, two meters thick, and twenty meters in length shot up from the ground faster than a bullet. All of the edges facing Aimesta were postulated with long sharp spikes, icicles sturdy enough to puncture through solid metal.


    The sudden appearance of this dangerous spiked ice wall nearly freaked Aimesta out. She nearly ran into the spikes, but she slid on her shoes to stop herself in time. Krysta tricked her!


    Aimesta probably couldn''t see it, but Krysta invoked another spell simultaneous to this one, a distant Shadow Wave already on approach from behind. Wielders can control where Shadow Waves crop up at, and even reduce their noise level for the cost of additional MP energy.


    The idea worked well enough. Aimesta managed to stop herself from running into a painful spiky wall of icicles, but her focus was forward only as a result. From behind, a sudden force shoved her whole body forward, pushing her straight into multiple spikes that punctured through the other side of her body. The sudden force of these needle edge spikes brought an incredible pain to Aimesta that she never expected to feel in any match, and there wasn''t even time to think about what behind her might have shoved her forward like that. But due to the special protection of the Leray veil, the spikes all created glowing circles at each puncture site, coming out the other end without actually being driven into Aimesta''s internal bodily organs. A lack of blood followed as well, but when the wall disappeared from the expended magic, Aimesta was still trapped in the vice of pain as she slumped to the ground, falling down on her side and unable to move. The front and back of her body was full of open holes of azure light with a low glow, and they remained there for a period afterwards to further prove that her actual life wasn''t in any danger. All in light of the Leray match, the balance defiantly shifted.


    With only a shred of HP left, Aimesta was drained and disoriented on the ground, practically unable or unwilling to move anymore. Krysta could easily finish her right now, but that wouldn''t even be necessary at this point. Danton had a hard time thinking through what just happened. In one moment, Krysta seemed to be screwing around. Yet she easily defeated Aimesta anyway, and in doing so made it look easy. That was a tough blow too. Aimesta''s HP was still elevated to begin with, but the added force of being shoved into that ice wall increased the damage two-fold. On top of that, this kind of ice wall invokes from a special spell of high power levels. It causes great pain and damage at the same time, and isn''t easy to learn. Krysta doesn''t specialize in ice spells, or any spells for that matter, but perhaps there is more here than he realized before.


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    Chapter Theme Shift: Mine 24 [A+B] ~ Resonance of Fate / End of Eternity OST</a>


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    "That''s enough!" Danton called. Without the existence of a Siriean dome, his words reached Krysta easily, and his command was followed instantly. Krysta lowered her guard and put her arms back to her sides, while Aimesta could only lay there in panic or pain. He tossed a healing orb to Mainne, instructing her by gesture to head over there and heal Aimesta''s temporary wounds. "I''ve decided on this match, but I need a word with you, Krysta Beckar."


    Mainne healed Aimesta before Krysta went anywhere near Danton. He was supposed to decide on the winner based on their skills and battling style, regardless of who''s HP hit zero first. This didn''t feel right though, the results unannounced thus far. When Krysta and Aimesta walked to present in position in front of Danton, the questions were on.


    "Krysta," he started to ask. "This adamant behavior of yours doesn''t slow down even during a battle. I don''t have to be the one to say that you can''t win a Leray battle with words or arguments alone... So I must ask why you talk down to people during a Leray match. And specifically, why were you insulting Aimesta earlier?"


    Aimesta formed a curve on her lips, but she kept quiet for now. Finally, that bitch will get what she deserves! She''s always insulting others. Krysta doesn''t deserve to be an elite!


    Krysta didn''t feel nervous at all, but rather confident when she spoke. "Wasn''t it obvious enough?" Grabbing everyone''s attention further, she elaborated on the results. "That''s my battling style. I know it''s a risk that won''t work on everyone, but by calling Aimesta fat and unworthy, I was hoping to get a reaction out of her. Did you know Danton, that people fight differently in battles when they become angry or upset? They''re more focused, but they lower their peripheral guard in doing so."


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Aimesta demanded to know why Krysta was making stuff up, but Danton didn''t stop her from speaking.


    "Aimesta rushed towards me knowing I had a slight advantage in close combat, but more importantly, the anger that I caused her made it less likely that my opponent would check behind them for silent rear attacks. That Shadow Wave was all it took to nail her to my sharp wall."


    Aimesta turned to Krysta with animosity that she fell for such a cheap trick. "Hey! That''s not even fair!"


    By the inflection in her tone, Danton could swear that Krysta enjoyed every minute, every second of that battle, including Aimesta''s pain when the plan worked. It''s defiantly a brilliant strategy now that it''s been brought to attention. She''s right about another thing. It would only work well on people who don''t know her as well, or for those who don''t have a lot of patience. Learning how to be a better fighter in general with a more solid strategy would be a requirement if Krysta stays... But there is just one more problem.


    Even if Aimesta is weaker than Krysta because of this, it''s still too unclear where their principles lie. "Do you enjoy other people''s pain?"


    "What kind of question is that?" Krysta had to draw the line here and demand that she sound threatening. She won the battle fair and square, but more importantly, how could Danton ever assume such crazy things? "My battling style is just the way it is!"


    Danton waved his arm, almost as if to slap Krysta clear across the face. "Do you think that this is some kind of joke?! I need you to be honest with me right now Krysta. I need to know that your resolve to protect the ideals of Leray magic are as strong as this tower''s defenses."


    Why is he so angry all the sudden? And why isn''t Mainne stepping in to calm him down? Who the hell are these people? "Wha—" Krysta couldn''t free any more words, now genuinely afraid of what this is supposed to be about.


    "I''ll give you each a scenario then, a test to Krysta and Aimesta, and I want both of you to answer this honestly. Don''t be politically correct, and don''t try to lie about what you would really do in this situation." Luckily for now, Brock and Cleo were keeping quiet to hear all of this, likely due to curiosity. They shouldn''t interrupt from here on in. "Intruders break into Eldora Tower. They have intention of hurting people, hurting us, yet you see an opportunity to escape with your lives and inform the police. You could also fight them, but they''re wicked strong, as well as dangerous. The reason they''ve come here to fight is because they want to take advantage of Leray magic, to change the ways it works to only benefit themselves, to rob everyone of the very magic that they love, which includes everyone in this room. Aimesta? Krysta? Which of the three actions do you take? Fight? Flight? Or maybe you join them because you know you might have to..." He watched both of their faces, currently struck with total shock that such a specific example was used. In no time flat, Krysta was the first and quickest person to react, stepping forward to state her virtual opinion.


    "I don''t know what kind of test you think you''re doing Danton, but if anyone ever comes to this tower will ill intentions, especially if that means causing trouble for those who love to practice Leray magic, they''ll have to answer to me! I would never let that happen!"


    "Even if they had dark magic on their side?" When Danton added that last detail, he could hear Krysta gasp just slightly, the fear in her eyes pulsating with her elevated heart rate. But that''s the structure of reality Krysta. What will you do if that situation occurs?


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Krysta felt frozen for a good two seconds. Dark magic? What kind of scenario is this? Is he hinting that this might actually happen in real life? It can''t be! People aren''t supposed to use deadly magic to get their way... But he did say they were dangerous. Maybe that''s what he meant. He''s using fear as a test to see who can outlast the situation. But would I really fight knowing that, or run away? Krysta couldn''t speak anymore, the lump in her throat stopping her while repeating the dark thoughts over and over.


    Danton could both see it and sense it, genuine fear in Krysta''s face. It was prevalent in Aimesta too, but she was even more silent than Krysta was. So she might have a problem with the fear of dying. At last, genuine emotion! Now Krysta, show us what you do with that fear!


    Krysta gasped a second time, her thoughts finally settling on something. It was already hard enough to think about. It''s a tricky situation. Be the idiot and get yourself killed? If you run, you''re also a coward, and if you join people like that, you''re no better than they are. But Danton isn''t asking the right question. If it were to protect these people in the same room, Krysta knew she would just run, but if the circumstances were a little different... What if the lives in danger are people she actually cares about, the lives of her friends or family? What if they''re the ones in danger if she doesn''t do anything, even if it means risking her own life in such a dangerous way?


    Huh? Danton wasn''t surprised that they couldn''t answer... But Krysta stopped trembling. He could see them shaking in the fear of that thought earlier, but right now, Krysta''s face was twisting with shame.


    Krysta had to be brave, and decide on what was right. "I don''t know if this makes me selfish or not. Personally, I would most likely run in a situation like that to save myself, but the only reason I can even think that way is because I don''t really care that much about all of you. I don''t want you to die or anything like that, but..."


    "I see..."


    Aimesta finally jumped in and saved herself any argument. "Well I would jump in and save everyone!"


    Krysta watched Danton raise a hand in front of Aimesta, as if he knew Krysta wasn''t done getting it all out, thus she continued. "But let''s say it were the people I care about in mortal danger. What if they''re the ones under threat? Whether it be because of something as scary as dark magic, or as simple as having their futures on the line because a couple of idiots want to change or destroy the Leray system, I can''t just run away from that. Even if it''s dangerous, I''ll protect the people that I care about no matter what. If I were a tower guard, that means I would prioritize who to save based on who I feel I want to save more." Her throat felt tense just from talking, the scenario playing out in her mind stressing her whole body out. That was probably the wrong answer all along, but that''s just how it is, and Danton said to answer honestly.


    "You''re right," Danton responded calmly. "That is selfish of you." Krysta looked so emotional right now. That was genuine fear that just coursed through her body, but she handled it differently in her mind than Aimesta did. "However, it''s only rational to choose which people we want to save more than another, while prioritizing potential hot spots and danger zones. That kind of rational thinking... I can see the sweat accumulating around your eyes. I know that must have been tough to answer, but you did so honestly."


    "Wh—, what about me?"


    Danton glared at Aimesta, pointing to herself and begging for his personal thoughts on her reactions. Aimesta was the most normal kind of person he could think of. Her reaction to the situation was both expected and easily calculated. Not only that, but... "You only agreed to protect everyone the moment Krysta gave a questionable response, and you sounded more excited than serious when you answered. Sorry, but I warned you not to try and be politically correct in your response."


    "But I—"


    Danton cut her off immediately. "You didn''t imagine the situation as realistically as possible, nor were you honest with yourself long enough to feel the pressure of the situation at full." He faced Krysta next, who had a curious look on her face. "I want everyone here to be rational, and to be able to decide things for yourselves. That''s what it takes to maintain mental preparation for a tough situation. Krysta, I get the sense that you aren''t really the kind of person you projected yourself to be earlier."


    "Eh," Krysta paused in response that somebody would even notice. Danton and Mainne, they''re both more intelligent than they look. "No, I''m not like that at all." Her reply of truth made Brock and Cleo gasp and whisper to themselves afterwards, but she ignored them for now. "I put on that kind of act because I don''t like being predictable."


    "You don''t like being read," Danton paraphrased. "But this is actually music to my ears. Mainne was right about you all along. Deep down, you are a good person."


    "But," Aimesta argued, "she just said she wouldn''t save everyone."


    "No," Danton denied. "What Krysta said is that she would be selective in those she chooses to save knowing she has to choose in the first place. It''s a mixture of common sense and realism. Perhaps it''s also selfish; selfishness however doesn''t always exist in the realm of morality. Besides, somebody who behaves like that will always be more committed to doing what needs to be done. Because you see, it''s harder to try your very best to do something you might not like. Being honest about that means you already know what kind of person you are..."


    Danton held out his hand in front of Krysta, hoping she would agree and shake his. "Krysta Beckar? I''ve made my decision, and will ask you to join our elite team, taking up the last slot. I will be honest before you make this choice. There may realistically come a day when you might have to make a rough choice like that in this tower, similar to my example. Consider that before you agree to anything." Danton kept his hand there, knowing it was going to be a moment for Krysta to think it through. Meanwhile, Aimesta''s face dampened with despair. It''s only natural that she didn''t make the cut. She''s too normal and conditioned, and that means she could potentially change or become influenced into someone unworthy of such great secrets. Krysta is at least truthful towards herself, and that will make it harder for criminal mages to twist her heart and mind.


    She inhaled three times while weighing everything that has ever led to this moment. Then finally, Krysta took Danton''s hand, shook it up and down twice, and gave her statement of consent. "I''ll do my best to be on this team, whatever it''s really for." With Krysta''s decision made, she found it oddly surprising and also satisfying that Brock and Cleo suddenly clapped their hands together, almost a kind of cheer celebrating the news that Krysta was on board with the team. They really want her after she pretended to be someone else?


    "All will be explained in due time. Welcome to the team, Krysta." Danton raised his voice to reach the others who were still standing a distance behind him. "And welcome to the team, Brock and Cleo. The three of us are going to have a lot of work ahead of us, so make sure you''re prepared."


    Brock and Cleo felt a comfort that wasn''t there before. At first, this all seemed shady and mysterious. In some ways, it still has that kind of vibe, but Danton sounded kind of happy just now, something neither of them have felt since meeting the guy. Are champions really like this? They must fight with a lot of honor.


    Danton knew he had to address the situation here with Aimesta. It''s not an easy thing to accept, training for this moment only to be denied. "Aimesta? You fought well out there today, but as I said before, I only have three slots available. As promised, you will be paid for your cooperation here during that training course. Mainne? Please prepare Aimesta''s things, and then kindly escort her from the building."


    "I''ll send that referee guy to do it."


    Referee guy? "You already have one of them doing your bidding? Must be nice that you arranged that."


    "Like I said before. I''m not going to be bossed around by a creep. Don''t worry Aimesta. You''ll get better in your training outside."


    The matter of escorting Aimesta away didn''t take long, but it was kind of sad to watch. Rules are rules however. If Danton could have an extra elite on the team, he would allow Aimesta to stay, but now that the real team was ready and excited, it was time to give them their next report. Danton stood firmly in front of all of them to head up the news after Aimesta left the arena. "Mainne, pay attention. This might be news to you as well. In about two weeks, this tower will reopen for business. I''ve tried to stall this opening for as long as possible, but the council is pushing back on that clause. I''ve presently determined that the three of you newbies are still not ready for the combat that will be brought to you. Even though training will continue under less strict exercises, you still won''t be ready in two weeks."


    What is he talking about? Brock had to raise his concern with the guy. "Come on Danton. We''re supposed to battle people and get better with experience. Why should it matter whether or not we''re here for a longer time?"


    Danton ignored his comment entirely, planning to answer it later. "As a result of this situation, Mainne will be automatically moved to rank level one, that is, elite level one. She''ll be the first, and hopefully the last to battle every single contestant that tries to work their way above her. The idea is to make sure that the challengers don''t make it past her. When I''ve determined that you''re all ready for the field, we will change that so that you all have more field experience. Also, the Catalyst Grove will be suspended for a slightly longer duration as it is undergoing some technical changes in the set of rules, rules I''ve set there to make it a lot harder for our elites to be replaced."


    "So Mainne is going to be doing all of the fighting for now? That''s not very fun if you ask me."


    Nobody did ask you Cleo. Danton shrugged off the complaint. "As the new team of Eldora Tower, you all need a team name. People usually refer to us as the elite chain, but I''m dumping that moniker. We won''t be calling ourselves Trujima either."


    Krysta repeated in curiosity, "Trujima?"


    "From now on, you four will be known as the League of Elites. People will have to call us by that term from now on. I don''t know if it will stick, but it''s worth a shot. It''s only right. But make no mistake," he assured. "While you will all be known to many as the League of Elites, your real roles are going to be guardians of Sprawn Valley."


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    Chapter Theme Shift: Seymour''s Theme ~ Final Fantasy X OST (Remaster)</a>


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    They all seemed confused, and suddenly, Mainne held Danton''s arm turning him around with deep concerns. "You still think that now is the best time to tell them?"


    Danton whispered to Mainne too, though his answer wasn''t going to change anytime soon. "They need to know what they''re all fighting for. And right now, they really are carrying on that role, including you and me. We are guardians of Sprawn Valley and this tower, and we will soon act like it."


    Mainne knew he was really going to do it, but that still leaves troubling questions. "And what about the two traitors we''ve been hunting? Where are they? When are we going to arrest them and put this madness behind us?"


    It was a tough and fair question, but Danton already understood the way of things regarding this weeks ago. "They''re in hiding Mainne. We aren''t going to find them, but I know what they want, and they have to come here in Eldora Tower to get it. So instead, we''re going to let them come to us."


    "You can''t be serious! You''re sure they''re going to attack us? You''re that certain of it?"


    "Either now or years from now, it will happen," Danton answered. "But this time, when it does, we''ll all be ready for them."


    "This is dangerous..." Mainne couldn''t look at anyone right now. The thought of imagining them dying could pop into her head if she does.


    "In time," Danton planned, "I will have more of the people on my side. Laws restricting the use of potentially unsafe or questionable magic practices will only add to the security of Leray magic, and that will also increase trust in this department. With people watching out for those with such descriptions, Kite and Gleeon can''t hide among them. If that weren''t enough, we now have some reinforcements to help us oppose them, people with noticeable resistances to the temptations of dark magic. That is why we will only resort to the use of Leray magic in moderation, which includes ourselves in this little skirmish that they''ve started. I won''t resort to using dark magic to defeat them, no matter how dangerous things get. I''m teaching my new team the same restraint, but first, they need to know what they''re going up against, or at least have a feel of it. So I''m going to go talk to them one more time before we end tonight. I urge you not to stand in the way of that."


    Mainne let Danton move away from her. She didn''t like the feeling of the situation in whole, but this must be the kind of risk necessary to stop such dangerous people. Not to mention how tough it must be, going up against their own former friends. But they killed Vanoss, and they''ve spent all of their sympathy on something nobody wants. Danton won''t even use dark magic as a means of defense against opposing dark magic... It''s so honorable... Mainne could only respect his behavior.


    "Right now, I''m going to escort all of you to the champion chambers." Brock and Cleo seemed excited about getting the honor of the tour. "We''re not here to sight see however. We''ll be talking in a secure room on floor 950-F. There are things we all need to discuss. Consider this your last class needed for you to take before you can all work with us."


    Danton did as he said he would, taking the new team to that room where nobody could monitor them, and when he began his explanations, Danton reminded himself of all the important topics that needed to be discussed. Talking about dark magic was a little bit easier today since his last announcement raised awareness to its common knowledge. Everyone agreed never to think about using it, less they lose who they are in response, and then the bigger picture came up. "For legal security reasons, I can''t show you what the crystal core looks like. I''m not even supposed to talk about it to anyone. However, as a team, there must not be any secret between us. This is the reason I''m so keen on keeping a more permanent team, and why I called all of you guardians earlier. You won''t like this explanation, so just bear with me for as long as you can, because now, I''m going to tell you all about the concept of lunar magic, and the origins of its existence."


    <hr>


    <03/16/1972 – 02:02 | Eldora Tower Fl. 950, Eldora City, Sprawn Valley Capital>


    <hr>


    Danton held his breath, exhaling as slowly as humanly possible as he again got lost in his thoughts of memory. He thought about that moment again, bringing his team onboard to fight people so deadly and dangerous. Of course, they all had similar reactions when they realized that lunar magic was really the source of all existing forms of magic, and that while its raw usage is deadly, can be executed outside of the veil. He shared every classified secret with all of them, and in an unexpected way, they handled it through their own training and future battles. After Brock, Cleo, and Krysta realized how important their roles here were to Eldora Tower, they became stronger with a faster learning curve.


    All of that was nearly ten years ago...


    "So when were you planning on telling us about these traitors that used to be your allies?" The sharp question came from Krysta. Danton had been reciting all of the details of his past in front of the still available League of Elites, but in all this time, only he and Mainne knew the truth about Gleeon and Kite''s conditions. Until now, the others believed they died in that unexpected explosion along with Vanoss in this very room. The truth is, Kite and Gleeon both escaped. Given the timing of their departure, and the sudden perseverance of the Scarlet Syndicate, it''s only obvious right now that those two are the current leaders of the criminal organization. They''re using dark magic as a lure to gain followers and disorganize Sprawn Valley from within.


    Danton held his head as if he had a headache, but he could only feel shame right now in front of all his teammates. "It''s a past that I wish I could just throw away, a past that I''m not proud of. But they are out there. Gleeon Miao and Kite Fargenst, likely the leaders of the Scarlet Syndicate. They''re the ones pulling all of their strings, and I hired all of you to help us take them out."


    Cleo nodded his head in disapproval. "By not telling us anything about them, we''ve been at a serious disadvantage."


    "I know, and I can''t apologize enough for being too much of a coward to speak up about it, but I still refuse the idea of heading out to try and find them. They''re after the tower''s secrets. I know they are! That''s why we can''t leave the tower all at once, as it would expose the vault. I think the only reason they''ve never hit this tower in an entire decade is simply because at least one of us has always remained in Eldora Tower on guard, but when we left to infiltrate Alpha Zero, I was taking a very big risk to save Lennith City. We''re very lucky that nothing happened while we were in the dark zone, but just thinking about it brought everything back."


    Mainne couldn''t hold her head high either, since she assisted Danton in lying to her own team about this, for years no less. This really is a deadly game. One slip up, and the world could suddenly belong to Kite or Gleeon. What''s worse now is that those two killers have been assembling their own private army of Scarlet Cult members to improve their odds of success. However... Their most recent activity doesn''t actually match up to the things Danton feared before, and that''s a bigger concern.


    Krysta and Brock were understandably still upset at Danton for lying his pants off about this, but they at least understood the dire circumstances. "We''re all on your side Danton, and we want to help protect Sprawn Valley from these people." Krysta knew what had to be done. "And I also know you forbid us from using dark magic in order to eliminate the targets. I can accept those conditions and keep going. But you will never lie to us again. Understand?"


    "Of course I understand. It''s been a very long mistake, and things have been happening that I haven''t been prepared for. That one''s on me, for trying to ignore and forget my past."


    "Okay, so let''s get back to the situation with Jane. What''s her status right now?"


    Answering Brock''s question, Danton only had limited information to go on, but it was becoming clear already what kind of role she is playing in this situation. "Well you see, Jane is..." There won''t be an easy way to say this, but it has to be said.